Cinderella Man News Snippets |
2/25/04 - The UK Times: "Owen Slot talks to Angelo Dundee, the legendary trainer, whose belief that a kid from Louisiana was good enough to shake up the world was fully vindicated . . .Celebrity has, to an extent, caught up with Dundee. He choreographed Will Smith in Ali, the film, and he has just been to Australia to train Russell Crowe for the lead role in Cinderella Man, a biopic of Jim Braddock, the heavyweight. Crowe, Dundee says, "is the nicest guy you ever want to meet, and let me tell you, the sucker can fight". Thanks, Lyna |
From the Gene Tunney web site: History of Boxing Video - 1906 - 1955. Original black and white boxing archival film footage of boxing's most memorable fights: Includes Braddock vs Baer
Picture of Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Jim Braddock Archival
Television Audio: #270- A 1960'S RADIO BROADCAST ADDITION:
THE FLOYD PATTERSON VS. SONNY LISTON FIRST WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT1962-09-25,
ABC 65min.
Upsets in boxing - From Boxing Monthly UK, thanks to ozgypsy at the Perch: JAMES J. BRADDOCK In a victory described by legendary New York sportswriter Edward J. Neil as “one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the prize ring”, unheralded challenger James J. Braddock was declared winner by unanimous decision over Max Baer to become heavyweight champion before a crowd of 30,000 at the Long Island Bowl outdoors in New York. Braddock, a 29-year-old father of three from New Jersey, had been an unemployed victim of the Depression. He had been on what the Americans called “relief” (public assistance) just a year earlier. But the so-called “Cinderella Man” gamely took the fight to the bronzed, big-punching Californian Baer, jabbing, trading punches when he had to do that, never backing down. And the huge crowd got behind him and seemed to be willing him to victory. Baer, a crude swinger but heavy-handed, had smashed former champion Max Schmeling into defeat on his way to the title and cruelly battered the huge Primo Carnera to become champion. He had been expected to blast Braddock out of the fight. But Baer, who was so confident he had told reporters he was afraid he might actually kill Braddock, was outboxed, outfought and outgamed. It was not a thrilling fight but it was an occasion of drama and poignancy, a victory against the odds for the common citizen of America. Edward J. Neil wrote that as Braddock methodically ploughed his way to victory “you could feel the tension increasing, feel breaths shortening, until the hair stood up on the back of your neck”. Braddock’s jabs flattened Baer’s nose, and the champion had three rounds taken away — for low blows and back-handing. He tried to intimidate Braddock by sneering and clowning, doing his famous rubber-legged routine, exaggeratedly adjusting his trunks — even waving to the crowd. But Braddock was steady and earnest, and he was scoring points while Baer posed. Afterwards, Braddock said: “I knew as early as the third round
I was going to win. That’s when Baer hit me on the chin with
his Sunday punch and I took it. I’m the happiest guy in the world.
Nobody knew what that fight meant to me. Money, security, education
for my children, financial aid for my parents. If ever a guy went into
the ring with something to fight for, I was the guy.” |
Thanks to Amazon -- From Ethnic America - A History:
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From The Great Depression : 1929-1939 by Pierre Berton
(Author):  |
From The Dog Lover's Companion to New York City: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog:
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| 12/3 - The Vancouver Sun: Deep down there's still a little Opie in this man -- "Next year, he and Russell Crowe, who starred for him in A Beautiful Mind, start work on their second collaboration, Cinderella Man, a Depression yarn about boxer Jim Braddock. In a typically Ron Howard manner, he sums up the nature of his collaboration with this demanding actor in one word. "Trust," he says simply. "Just trust. We spend a few weeks learning to believe in one another or in the possibility of collaboration -- because our personalities are so different. We had a great story meeting the other day, and I'm excited." Thanks, Tamara |
From The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 28 Nov 2003Howard certain of his direction BY: BOB LONGINO Interview with Ron Howard Q: What
can you say about "Cinderella Man" and
Russell Crowe? Q: So many people have this view of Crowe as a tyrant and just a mean
guy. |
(Right)
